Serving with patience and efficiency

The National Council for Jewish Women Peninsula Section will honor Muriel Lavenda with the Hannah G. Solomon Award at its Founders Day luncheon at the Seawane Club in Hewlett Harbor on June 10.
Lavenda, 84, a Lawrence resident, has served as the staff secretary for the NCJW for 36 years. A committee of past award recipients does the selecting. It is given to a person who has changed the lives of others through his or her leadership efforts and service.
The Executive Director of NCJW Peninsula Section, Linda Tolkin, said they have been fortunate to have Lavenda as a trusted and valued employee for nearly 40 years. “She is a beloved member of NCJW and in her calm and quiet way continues to be a true inspiration,” she said. “We are all so thrilled to be presenting Muriel with the well deserved Hannah G. Solomon Award.”
The honoree said she was thrilled and surprised to be receiving the award. “It’s something I’d have never expected,” Lavenda said. “The award has always been given to someone on the board. I work in the office. It’s touching that the women think so much of me.”
It’s no surprise to former NCJW President Judy Mintz why Lavenda was selected. “I was the president in the late 1980s into the early ’90s, and since then we have known Muriel to be such a fixture in our office,” she said. “She’s our historian. We’ve always relied on her. She’s so patient and efficient.”

In addition to her office work, Lavenda and her husband, Nat, volunteer for the NCJW thrift shop, specifically during their annual Back-to-School store event. “We help about 300 to 400 needy local children with getting them complete school outfits and supplies,” she said. “They’re not hand-me-downs, but all new stuff. It’s a sad and happy thing. The parents learn, too. All year long, we solicit donors and local retailers to help. It’s a wonderful project, very gratifying.”
One of Mintz’s favorite memories is of the time when Lavenda gave her a gift. “When I went out of the presidential office at NCJW, she gave me a mug that said, ‘You did good,’” she said. “I thought that was really sweet. Now, I’m honored to be a part of recognizing her.”
Lavenda’s favorite part of her job, she said, is the atmosphere and the people. “It’s a privilege to work with and for these great people,” she said. “I do the best job, the best way I can.”
It is the combination of her service in the office and her community as the reason why Lavenda is being honored. “The Hannah G. Solomon Award is the highest award or honor that the NCJW gives out to people,” Mintz said. “I’m so pleased that she is receiving it. It’s her turn.”
The NCJW is a volunteer organization, inspired by Jewish values, that takes a progressive stance on social issues like child welfare, women’s rights and reproductive choices. To learn more about the organization, visit http://www.ncjwpeninsula.org/.